1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a storm door including a mortise lock and handle and more specifically to mortise lock for a storm door that includes a lift-up handle.
2. Prior Art
Storm door mortise locks typically have a live bolt that is activated by a door handle. During opening, the live bolt is retracted by the user turning the handle. During closing, the angular design of the live bolt and the force of the closing door cause it to retract upon contact with the strike plate on the door jam. The force of the closing storm door is typically sufficient to push the live bolt in until it passes by the first position of the strike plate and into the live bolt recess of the door jam.
Storm doors typically also have an internal latch mechanism that is actuated by turning a knob or handle. Such handle type latch mechanisms are particularly useful to a consumer because they are easily gripped and rotated. Handles are also often preferred by consumers who prefer the decorative style of a handle. However, handles have the disadvantage of extending beyond the door frame when at a right angle to the door frame (i.e. at a horizontal position to the door frame) and into the glass or screen section of the storm door. This creates difficulty in removing a storm door window or screen.
As is well known, storm door screens and windows are removed seasonally with the glass being in during the fall, winter and spring months when the weather is not conducive to permitting air into the house and the window replaced with a screen during the summer months to permit air into the house while preventing insects from entering the house. With such interchanging between a storm door screen and a storm door window, it is cumbersome to have a handle sticking into the plane of where the storm door window or screen is removed and inserted. Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a storm door with a door handle which is moveable to a vertical position away from the storm door window such that easy access may be made for interchanging the storm door window and the storm door screen.
In addition, current storm door windows may also provide for screen and window sections to be included in the same door. In this style type of door, the window must be moved away from the screen to permit cleaning. With this style of window it is often desirable to have the window pivot from one side of the window outwardly. Most frequently, the window will pivot along a horizontal axis at the bottom of the window. Unfortunately, the prior art handles are not moveable into a vertical position and therefore the window does not fully extend but instead is obstructed by the handle which extends over the plane of the window. Therefore, another objective of the present invention is to provide a storm door with a handle which is tiltable to a vertical position such that the glass can be tilted from the window for easy cleaning.
In addition, some latch mechanisms rotate at a downward angle from horizontal for opening of the door. This rotating permits easier removal of the window or screen from the door frame; however, such rotation is typically not far enough to provide a meaningful clearance for the window or the screen to be removed from the door frame. In addition, handles on current storm doors are spring loaded such that they return to their default latched position. Therefore, a user who is trying to manipulate a screen storm door window or screen must maintain a grip upon the handle to achieve any additional clearance that may be available, thus defeating any benefit for manipulating the screen door out of the door frame because one hand must be maintained upon the handle. Therefore, a still further objective of the present invention is to provide a storm door that permits moving a door handle to a position that increases the clearance of the storm door window or storm door screen from the door frame and to maintain it in that position so that an individual may independently remove it from the door frame without maintaining contact with the handle or having a second consumer maintain the door handle in a second position.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a lift-up lock case mortise that is economical to manufacture and durable and safe in use.
The apparatus and method of accomplishing these and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.